


In the Cavallino's lair

by Lux1224



Series: Winterbreak Writing Challenge [8]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Charels is a good teammate but only at times, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Lando is a sweetheart, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining Carlos, Valentine's day fic but not really because I don't like Valentine's day, sometimes Carlos is a bit oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:41:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29374008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lux1224/pseuds/Lux1224
Summary: Carlos apparently can’t stop sneezing, Lando doesn’t like Valentine's day and Charles Leclerc is a little shitORCarlos is allergic to his new home fragrance and Lando gifts him a new one
Relationships: Lando Norris/Carlos Sainz Jr
Series: Winterbreak Writing Challenge [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2157735
Comments: 12
Kudos: 64
Collections: Winterbreak Writing Challenge (2020)





	In the Cavallino's lair

**Author's Note:**

> **WINTERBREAK F1 WRITING CHALLANGE** by [@scharletred](https://scharletred.tumblr.com/)  
> And they were teammates!  
> What better moment to confess your feelings for your (former or current) teammate than Valentine’s day? How will it go?

[ ](https://ibb.co/16tmN1S)

_DISCLAIMER: I know some of the things I described actually happened before the day I said they happened but as usual this is fic, so time is fictional and everything else too._

**6th February**

Carlos isn't sure what's happening to him. He has been in Italy for a week, he is working for the team of his dreams, he spent a wonderful winter break with his whole family that he had not seen for a long time and in three days he will be on the track for the first time at the wheel of a red car… Yet he feels like something is missing.

He knows what he is missing, what - or rather who - could fill the little british driver shaped hole in his heart, but he tries in every way not to think about it because then he knows that that hole would tear more and he would find himself wanting to spend the rest of the day on the sofa wrapped in a fluffy blanket and watching sad and dramatic Spanish soap operas.

So the best solution is to put on his pajamas, get into bed and try to sleep… maybe his brain will turn off and he can relax for a few hours.

He has just closed his eyes when he hears his phone vibrating on the bedside table. He doesn't want to talk to anyone, but it's 2pm and he doesn't have a good enough excuse not to answer, so he swipes his finger across the screen and, without even reading the name of whoever is calling him, he answers.

"Hello!" he tries to sound cheerful in case the person looking for him is from work and not some friend or relative, but when he hears the scratchy British accent on the other side of the phone, he feels the lump in his throat come back.

“ _Hoooolaaaa. Cómo estás?_ " asks Lando pulling the letters and rolling his tongue around the extraneous words “So? How many pasta dishes have you eaten? How many kilos have you gained this week? Come on tell me, have you met Charles yet and said hello for me?" Carlos is overwhelmed by the flooding river that are Lando's words, and not for the thousand questions, but because hearing the voice of his ex-teammate was just what he needed and he would so much cry with happiness.

"Carlos?" Lando asks confused, receiving no response other than a little muffled sniffling "Carlos? Are you crying? Is everything ok?" he goes on, increasingly concerned. He's not sure he heard correctly, but Lando has never seen or heard Carlos cry and if he's really doing it, then something serious must have happened.

“No _cabròn_ , don't worry. I picked up a new home fragrance that makes me sneeze" Carlos tries to apologize clearing his throat "Here everything is fine, I saw Charles in passing, I think we'll see each other on the track on Wednesday. And no, I'm already in preseason mode, I'm training and following a diet... And I assure you that I have not put on kilos, if not of muscle” he says trying to get his voice back to a normal level.

"What about you? How was your week at the MTC? Have you met Daniel yet?" asks Carlos, trying to divert the attention from him and Lando begins to tell him how he has already taken the measurements for the new seat, how he can't wait to be able to get back to driving on the track and the few words he exchanged with Daniel. Carlos listens to him and lets himself be lulled by Lando's voice until the lump in his throat loosens and his breath relaxes.

When they say goodbye because Lando has an appointment with Zak, Carlos finally manages to close his eyes and falls asleep with a smile on his lips.

\---

**9th February**

Carlos is giddy and can’t sit still. Today he’s going to do his first laps in Fiorano on the 2018 Ferrari.

For the past few days he has been texting or talking to Lando at least once a day. Apparently the younger one has some sort of sixth sense, and when Carlos needs to talk to someone or starts feeling melancholy, on time as a Swiss watch, his phone starts ringing. But today he just sent him a "Good luck. Have a good time!" because he knows how excited Carlos is for this new experience and he didn't want to disturb him.

Between the preparation and all the indications given to him, Carlos tunes out everything that isn't work. That's how it is, when it comes to racing he can do nothing but concentrate and give the best of himself.

The first few laps in red are fantastic, and after a few adjustments he is sent back to the track - Carlos hadn't felt so excited about driving a new car since the launch of last year's MCL35. Without thoughts he presses on the accelerator and focuses on the track, on the controls and buttons on the steering wheel, the noise of the engine, the brake, clutch and accelerator play.

When he returns to the garage after the last lap of the day, Carlos just can't erase the bright smile that lights up his face, he takes off his helmet and looks quickly at the people around him, he can't wait to tell everything to his teammate - in a second, however, he returns to reality, there is no orange around him, there is not a boy dressed in blue waiting for him, but a great sea of red. Carlos gets out of the car as in a dream, the people around him smile and pat him on the back - even Charles nods and waves at him - but Carlos no longer knows what to feel.

Seeing all these people smiling and proud of him makes him happy, and he is happy with his choices but at the same time, the hole in his chest gets bigger and bigger and his breath becomes short.

Carlos greets and thanks everyone, Charles gives him a pat on his shoulder complimenting him, the older one responds with a sincere smile but knows that it doesn't reach his eyes. He doesn't care about Charles's confused expression or Caco's frown, Carlos quickly gets in the car and drives home.

\---

After a quick shower Carlos goes to the kitchen, he knows he should eat something healthy, but as soon as he opens the fridge the first thing he sees is a carton of milk and his eyes immediately brighten - for fuck sake, what's wrong with him? It is not the first time that he changes teammates and in any case he and Lando have tried to stay apart for longer than these few weeks. He has to put this behind himself, he can't go on like this. He can't continue pining for his ex-teammate like this, he has to find a way to get him out of his head.

But this is not the time, now Carlos just needs to feel him a little closer so he makes himself a cup of milk and coco pops, gets comfortable on the sofa and he facetime Lando.

" _HOLA!_ How did the first day go? Have you already gone off the track and into the gravel?" Says Lando as soon as he appears on the screen - Carlos immediately recognizes the background, Lando is in his bed, covered up under his chin and the sleeves of the colored sweatshirt that Carlos loves so much hiding his fingers. 

He must have leaned the phone against something because he has both hands free and he is rubbing them together - Carlos wishes he could take them in his own and help him warm them up or snuggle up in his arms, face on Lando's shoulder, cheek on the sweatshirt fabric that Carlos knows is super soft, the tip of his nose on the younger one's warm skin, breathing in his good smell - and all the good intentions of not thinking about his ex-teammate anymore go out the window. 

Carlos hides even more in the blankets "Can you tell me what you did today?" he asks in a small voice without answering the greeting and chewing on a spoonful of cereal.

"Are you eating milk and cereal? Didn't you say you're already preparing for the season?" Lando asks, confused. "Shut it, I was hungry and Rupert isn't with me now so if you don't tell him, he won't know!" Carlos mumbles.

The older one sees the torn expression of Lando, but after a moment of silence, he begins to tell him about his day, Zak's jokes that only make him laugh, of what the new merch will be like - and Carlos can not help but thank heaven that allowed him to meet a person like Lando, or perhaps he would do better to curse it because it made him meet him, but he will never have the Brit in his life as he would like.

Carlos, however, shakes his head to erase that thought and focuses on the voice of the younger one, on his eyes that narrow when he laughs, on his hands that cannot stay still while he tells a particularly interesting event, on his glossy lips because of his tongue that he doesn't seem to be able to keep at bay.

After saying bye to the younger one, Carlos falls asleep with a smile on his lips and dreams of bluish-green eyes and soft lips, fair skin and strong hands.

If the next morning he wakes up hard and horny as he never has since he was a teen and he jerks off in the shower and comes after a few minutes with the image of plump lips and shiny eyes surrounded by long dark lashes on his mind. 

And if he then bursts into tears, sliding his back along the cold tiles of the wall until he is sitting on the ground, knees to his chest to silence the sobs as the water flows over his shoulders.

No one will know, because exactly one hour later Carlos is wearing his mask and is sitting in a fiery red Ferrari while someone is placing the camera on Charles's car.

\---

**10th February**

Today Carlos is not exactly in the mood to shoot some promotional videos, but no one has to know about his mood, so he plasters a smile on his lips and tries - as always in vain - to not compare these days with the experiences he made in McLaren, to not compare Charles and Lando, to not think about Lando at all.

And, as usual, he fails.

Because he loves Ferrari, he loves all the people in red that are so nice to him, he loves Charles and the tentative friendship they are starting, he loves the atmosphere in the garage… But he is in love with Lando and - fuck, he is in love with Lando.

The realization of something that in the depths of his heart he already knew for some time, strikes him like a bolt from the blue and he doesn't realize that he has stopped in the middle of the garage until Charles gently puts a hand on his shoulder asking him if he's ok.

Carlos shakes his head releasing his thoughts and nods. 

"Don't worry, it's a lot to take in. It was overwhelming for me the first few days too" says Charles taking his hand off Carlos's shoulder who looks at him with a hint of a smile "They said we're done for today, so we have half a day off. Would you like to go get something to eat and I'll show you around?" asks the younger one, and Carlos is really grateful that Charles isn't the stuck up kid everyone describes him to be, but he just isn't in the mood to socialize today.

"Thank you so much, I appreciate the offer, but if it's not a problem for you we could do it another day? I'm not sleeping well these days and I'm very tired, I'd go home and throw myself on the bed" it's a half truth, but Charles doesn't seem to care, in fact he nods "Sure! You changed house, mattress, air and habits. Don't worry, we'll have so many other opportunities!" he states before taking his things and going to the exit.

Carlos takes it slow, on the one hand he can't wait to get home and shut the whole world out the door, but at the same time he is afraid of his thoughts which, once left alone, overwhelm him and don’t make him breathe properly. 

When there is hardly anyone left in the garage except the last people to put the various tools in their place, Carlos retrieves his backpack and goes out.

In front of the entrance there are some people scattered here and there, all strictly dressed in red, the one that attracts Carlos' attention, however, is the only person wearing a gray sweatshirt, a hood on his head and his arms tightly around his body and talking to Charles. The Spaniard approaches and can't help but feel his breath stop in his throat as the hooded figure looks up at him and the eyes that haunt him in his dreams stare back at him.

Carlos is still lost in his thoughts and almost doesn’t hear what Charles is saying to him "Okay, you could have told me you had a guest, there was no need to tell me you were tired. If you had told me right away that Lando had come to see you I would have understood" he chuckles pretending to be offended.

"It's true that he's tired. He's not so well these days, that's why I came to see him, without his personal nurse he doesn't survive for more than two weeks" says Lando, jokingly, but Carlos feels a hint of something else, something that could be confusion, reproach but that Carlos can't give a name to.

Carlos says bye to Charles on autopilot who walks away and then turns to Lando who has approached him and is looking at him, a smile hinted at his lips. When the younger one opens his arms inviting the former teammate in for a hug, Carlos doesn't need to hear it twice and dives into the arms of the younger one "you are here. You are real" he whispers holding tight to his chest and breathing with the tip of the nose between the curls of the Brit.

When Lando hugs him and leaves a kiss on his hairline Carlos can't hold back his emotions anymore and a sob escapes him "Hey, hey. No, don't cry please" murmurs Lando, cradling his cheeks with his hands and drying his tears.

"Let's go home. We have to tell each other many things, but this is not the right place," Lando says resolutely, then takes the car keys from Carlos' hands and drives them to Carlos’ new apartment.

\---

During the journey in the car they remained in silence except for Carlos who gave directions to Lando. 

Now they are in Carlos' apartment one facing the other, Lando takes off his jacket and hangs it on one of the hangers in the corridor, then takes off his shoes and walks towards the living room, looking around himself curiously. Carlos is still silent but he also takes off his shoes and jacket and joins Lando in the living room. Then, for the first time since they left the car, he finds his voice again. 

"What are you doing here?" he asks, curiosity and confusion in his voice. "You told me your new home fragrance makes you sneeze and since you've never sneezed in my house, I decided to bring one with the same fragrance" says Lando, unzipping his backpack and pulling out a small package. Carlos raises an eyebrow but takes the box from Lando's hands, looks suspiciously at the package wrapped in the worst possible way and opens it.  
Like the younger one had said, Carlos finds a home fragrance identical to the one sitting on the table at the entrance to Lando’s house. 

"Thank you" Carlos replies sincerely, raising his eyes to Lando "but I don't think this is the real reason why you asked for a day off at MTC".

"Actually they left me off all week until Sunday to visit my grandmother who is very sick" Lando says smiling and Carlos frowns at him "your grandmother is sick? I'm really sorry. But that doesn’t explain why you are here... Your grandmother doesn't live here" asks Carlos more and more confused. 

Lando bursts out laughing "No, you muppet, I certainly couldn't tell Zak that I needed vacation to come and bring you a present and to make sure you didn't have an allergy!" Lando says, then with a couple of steps he approaches the older one and lowers his eyes to the floor "and I admit that I missed you" he murmurs "but just a little bit" he then says with a slightly higher voice and crossing his gaze with that of the older one, a smirk adorning his lips. Lando bursts out laughing and Carlos cannot resist the crystalline sound and the radiant expression on Lando’s face, he takes him from the shoulders and pulls him to himself holding him tightly in his arms.

After this, everything seems to go back to normal between them. 

Carlos cooks something while Lando helps him - staying away from the stove and commenting on his every move as if it were a GP - then they eat together in front of the TV and when even the programs on the screen stop being interesting they start talking about everything and nothing, until Carlos notices that Lando is about to fall asleep. 

The younger one is sitting on the sofa curled up in himself, he is completely turned towards Carlos, his knees to his chest and his head resting on the backrest, his eyes closing more and more with each breath. 

"Come on, it's time to go to bed," Calros says, nudging him with his toe. Lando protests weakly but puts a hand to his mouth to hide a yawn "ok... maybe you are right. Can I have a blanket?" he asks, looking around. 

"A blanket?" asks confused Carlos, "I would like to not freeze to death in my sleep" Lando giggles lying on the sofa. 

Realization dawns on Carlos who immediately shakes his head "Don't make me laugh. Get that ass up, you are sleeping with me in my bed. I’m not going to hear Jon moaning if you wake up with back pain!" jokes Carlos. 

Lando smiles and follows him to his room where Carlos throws one of his shirts at him to change into something more comfortable. When the lights are turned off and the two drivers are under the covers, Carlos whispers Lando a goodnight.  
Not receiving an immediate response from Lando, he turns the other side and closes his eyes. The last thing he hears before sleep takes him away is a hand in his hair and a whispered "I missed our sleepovers. You have no idea how much I missed you." 

But Carlos is not even sure if it was a dream or reality, the fatigue accumulated in all the days of little sleep does not allow him to ask for more.

\---

**11th February**

On Thursday Carlos is free from commitments and they decide to go for a ride downtown. Fortunately, being a day in the week, there aren't many people out and about and the two men can enjoy their stroll in peace.

They walk next to each other, their fingers touching at times make Carlos shiver - he wishes he could grab them and squeeze them in his, he wishes he could put a hand on Lando's shoulders and hold him tight as they walk, he would like to do so many other things but his thoughts are interrupted by a snort from the younger one.

"I understand that it is Valentine's Day in a couple of days , but all these hearts, puppets, little flowers... Am I the only one getting sick about all of this?" he mutters running a hand through his hair angrily.

"Well _niño_ , they are not all heartless like you" says Carlos amused. 

"But it's not a question of having a stone cold heart, it's that I find all of this too much, you should love your partner all year round not just one day in 365 and, if you remember, give them a box of cheap chocolates and a bunch of semi withered roses" Lando says, crossing his arms over his chest.

Carlos can't hold back a laugh "I have no idea who you've been with and where all this grudge comes from, but you want to know something?" he asks, drying a tear due to too much laughter. Lando turns slightly towards him and raises an eyebrow, a sign to continue. "I think your parents really like this holiday!"

To Lando's increasingly confused gaze he goes on "Do you know that babies take nine months to be born? Do a quick calculation and I would say that you were conceived on Valentine's Day!" Carlos says, then waits and watches Lando's reaction. He can almost see the gears turning and clicking into the correct position at the exact moment when Lando's eyes widen.

"No. No. Nonononono", Lando starts whimpering, putting his hands on his ears and squeezing his eyes closed "Why did you put this in my head? I hate you".  
"Nah, you don't hate me, you love me" jokes Carlos putting his arm around Lando's shoulders to keep him from running away. "Yeah, I do," Lando mumbles without losing his pout - and Carlos doesn't know if the other driver is joking or if he doesn't really mean it, but Carlos can't stop the shiver crawling up his spine when hearing those words come out of Lando's lips.

Eventually they come home with a few grocery bags full of food and a teddy bear hugging a red heart - Carlos didn't have the courage to tell the old lady at the checkout that they weren't together and they didn't want a Valentine's gadget. Mostly because, despite the younger one's reticence for this holiday, Lando's eyes lit up when he took the soft teddy bear in his hands and Carlos just couldn't say no.

\---

**13th February**

It's Saturday and the two drivers have spent all day at home playing on Carlos’ playstation and watching movies on Netflix.  
They had originally thought about going for a walk but it rained nonstop all day so the sofa, a soft and warm blanket, cuddles and tea were the best choice. 

Carlos is almost falling asleep thanks to Lando's delicate fingers running through his hair and cradling him, when a Valentine's Day jewelry commercial pops up on the screen and Carlos hears Lando snort.  
"Here too?" he mumbles, stopping his hypnotic movements and removing his hand from Carlos's hair, who whines a little before sitting up. "All in all it's not so cringe. Charles bought a necklace with a similar pendant for his girlfriend, too. It's a nice thought" Carlos tries to say, but Lando interrupts him "Honestly ? No. I can understand that you wear a pendant with your name around your neck, but having the one of the person you're dating seems absurdly cheesy and patronizing... yuck".

Carlos shakes his head, frowning "Maybe you talk like that because you've never fallen in love. If you had someone in your life that you would never want to separate yourself from, someone you have such strong feelings for that sometimes it's hard to breathe when you don't have them next to you. Well, maybe then you'd understand" he says. 

Lando looks at him with a look full of emotions, but what Carlos immediately perceives is hurt "And who says that I have never felt these things or that I don't feel them every day of my life? Obviously we just have different ways to express ourselves. But maybe you are right, if the person who takes my breath away would reciprocate my feelings maybe I too would behave in this way... Unfortunately I am not allowed to know and I’m probably never going to know how they feel" says Lando before passing a hand over his eyes and getting up "sorry, I'm going to the bathroom for a second".

When Lando returns from the toilet Carlos is still sitting in the same position. He doesn't know if it was the younger one's reaction that shocked him the most or if it was the discovery that Lando has someone in his heart. 

Carlos would just like to put a pillow to his face and scream, but the wellbeing of the little Englishman is a weak point for him so he takes a deep breath to calm down and decides to help Lando and figure out if there is a way to make the girl that has stolen his heart won’t take away his smile too.

“So, tell me about her” Carlos breathes when the other man sits down on the sofa again, but they keep a distance, and Carlos just wants to grab him by the arm and pull him closer - he feels so cold compared to a few minutes prior, despite the heating being on. 

Lando looks at him confused "Her who?".

"The girl you don't know if she has feelings for you but you want in your life" explains Carlos, hinting at a smile - it's hard, but he loves Lando too much to see him suffer "Maybe I can help you understand, since you're clueless about these things" giggles Carlos.

Lando's expression is unreadable, but Carlos watches him settle more comfortably and turn completely towards him, legs crossed and back against the arm of the sofa. With an affirmative nod from Lando, Carlos begins with the questions.

"First of all, is she a girl I know?" he asks, "Yes, you know this person," Lando says.

"This is very good, so I guess she works in our field" and Lando nods "but you don't want to tell me her name" and Carlos watches Lando bite his lower lip in doubt before shaking his head - great, he won't tell him her first name. How should he help him if he doesn't even know who she is?! 

But Carlos doesn't give up.

"Have you ever talked to her in person?" Lando looks at him stunned "Yes. Who did you take me for, I'm not talking about a crush. I am in love with this person and in any case I talk to them every day. Or rather, we talked with each other every day, when we were on the same team and were cruising the world together" the last part Lando whispers, but in the silence of the room Carlos hears everything and every word is like a stab in the heart - In love, then it's really serious.

"In love? Oh little Lando is growing up so fast" Carlos teases him, but Lando scowls harder "Stop it. Don't tease me about this. Otherwise I won't tell you anything more".

"Back to the topic. Same team, you said? That narrows it down but that's okay, it means I know her well. Now, you said you were talking, why don't you text her?" Carlos asks and Lando looks at him almost amused but shaking his head "I can't. That is, every now and then we text and we even talk on the phone. But they are very busy, they have changed teams and they are settling in the new place, new colleagues... You know ".

Carlos feels the hole in his stomach getting deeper and deeper. If they text and even talk on the phone - even if Lando hates talking on the phone except to his mom and during their evening calls - it means that she is a very important person to Lando.

Carlos knows that there was already no hope, but he also sees the last strands thin out more and more until they disappear.

"I don't understand. If you keep talking and texting it means that she’s interested" says Carlos frowning "Yes, but Carlos, the problem is that I don't know if this person sees me as a friend or as something more. We have created this beautiful friendship that if I were to spoil by confessing my feelings, I could die of it" says Lando, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. 

Carlos takes his wrist and intertwines Lando’s fingers with his "Can I be honest? In my opinion you should go for it and tell the truth. Because yes, it's true, in the worst case your friendship could end but if having her in your life only as a friend it really hurts you so much maybe it's better this way. Anyway, you have a 50% chance that she will reciprocate your feelings. Don't always look at the glass half empty. Go for it, and if something goes wrong I'll always be there to help you put every piece back together" Carlos ends , and Lando raises his eyes crossing them with those of the older one.

"Do you promise me? That you won't leave me alone no matter what?" Lando asks in a trembling voice and Carlos isn't sure what to feel. He doesn’t understand why Lando is so unsure of himself, he has always been easygoing and bold while now the boy in front of him is flushed and his hands are shaking.

"No matter what" says Carlos, squeezing Lando's hands a little in his before letting go.

The spanish driver gets up from the sofa but Lando's voice stops him.

"Carlos?" Carlos turns to the younger one and waits for what he has to say

"I love you" 

Lando whispers and Carlos smiles bitterly "I love you too _cabròn_ " he says before turning back to go to the kitchen, but Lando stands up too and stops him with one hand on his shoulder, squeezing with his fingers and prompting him to turn back to him.

"No Carlos, I. Love. You" Lando repeats, and Carlos takes a moment to receive the words of the younger one but when his brain understands, his eyes become bright with tears trying to fall "You. You love me?" asks Carlos with a broken voice and Lando nods.

"But like love-love me?" he asks again and Lando nods again, a sad smile painted on his lips.

When Carlos realizes that his ex-teammate is still waiting for an answer and that the sad smile is due to his reaction he takes his face in his hands. "I love-love you too, _niño_ " before pulling him to himself and leaving him a sweet kiss on the lips.

And Carlos doesn't know what others feel when they kiss someone, fireworks, chills down their spine or butterflies in their stomach, what he feels when his lips finally rest on Lando's is completeness.  
He finally feels at home, that hole in his soul has been closed, he feels complete and reborn, he has never been so happy and peaceful in his life and he would never want to part with the other man. Ever.

Suddenly a doubt crosses his mind and he separates their lips with a smack "Wait a second. And all the talk about the mysterious girl earlier?" he asks confused and Lando giggles, the vibration of his laughter running along Carlos's hands and making him feel shivers all over his spine.

"You talked about a girl, I talked about a person. I was talking about you, you muppet" concludes Lando smacking their lips together once again.

\---

They are snuggling on the sofa, cuddling and exchanging sweet kisses as they talk about everything and nothing, while they tell each other their feelings. One of Lando’s hands is petting Carlos' soft hair - as always - and Carlos has his eyes half-closed and is almost purring every time the younger one scratches his scalp.

Abruptly, Lando sits up and Carlos whines at the lack of contact but opens his eyes when Lando calls his attention patting his knee.

"I have to ask you an important question and you only have two minutes to answer because I didn't notice what time it is" Lando says all in one breath. 

Carlos blinks puzzled trying to understand what the younger one is saying but nods to indicate that he is listening.

Lando takes a deep breath.

"Do you want to be my boyfriend?" he then asks without breathing between one word and another. 

Carlos looks at him puzzled once again and, when he understands the meaning of the question he bursts out laughing.  
Lando is confused and a little hurt when Carlos returns to look him in the face "What makes you laugh so much?" he mumbles, pouting and Carlos can't help but smile and leave a gentle kiss on Lando's lower lip.  
"I thought it was implied, _mi corazòn_ " and Carlos sees Lando smile and shiver a little at hearing the endearment in Spanish - interesting. He has to write it down for future reference - but Lando brings him back to reality.

"It's just that I wanted to be sure before midnight" he says and Carlos raises a confused eyebrow "I hate Valentine's Day and I wouldn't want our anniversary to be that damned day" concludes Lando, blushing and scratching his neck in embarrassment.

Carlos can't help but smile and look at the man in front of him with a fond look "Si, si, si. A thousand times yes. I want to be your boyfriend. You won't get rid of me so easily" he says before taking Lando between his arms and kissing him - if it’s more teeth than lips because they can't stop smiling, nobody cares because they are finally happy and in the arms of the person they love.

\---

**14th February**

Carlos wakes up the next morning and the first thing he notices is the person sleeping on his chest - not that there is anything strange, he and Lando have woken up more than once entwined or hugging, but they have never been naked - and in a second he remembers everything that happened the previous night.

He squints and smiles down at his boyfriend's serene expression. Lando’s lips are lips and a curl falls on his forehead, Carlos moves it gently and leaves a kiss on the tip of the nose of the little one who wrinkles his nose and sneezes without seeming to wake up.

Carlos looks at the time on the bedside alarm clock and decides that 9 am is a good time to wake up his new boyfriend and doesn't care that it's Valentine's Day and that Lando isn't much of a fan of the holiday. Carlos won't let the opportunity to fill the Brit's face and whole body with kisses slip away.

He starts from the neck, he scrapes his teeth along the warm and soft skin of his boyfriend’s neck and than comes back to soothe the injured part with light kisses. With one hand he caresses Lando’s hip and the Brit shivers and mumbles something unintelligible, moving his head to the side to give more access to the older one.

Carlos chuckles at the younger one's reaction and detaches his lips from the white skin of his boyfriend who whines at the loss of contact but silences himself after Carlos puts his soft lips on Lando's warm and parted ones.

"Good morning to you too" Lando says hoarsely because Carlos is already back to work, nibbling gently on the heated skin above the collarbone of the younger one.

"Fuck. All this early morning attention... You make me dizzy" Lando giggles and Carlos lifts himself up on one elbow to look him in the eye.  
"You feel dizzy? Are you pregnant? Tell me it’s not the case, please, I don't want another scorpio in this house, one is enough for me!".

Lando looks at him puzzled for a few seconds then throws the pillow at him "stop talking bullshit and go back to kiss me" he says before diving onto Carlos’ lips who is still laughing but accepts the affection.

\---

An hour later they are sitting at the kitchen counter eating breakfast - strictly cooked by Carlos - and drinking tea - brewed by Lando because "I'm the English one in the relationship and I'm old enough to make it myself without supervision" - when Carlos asks Lando if he can stay another day since Monday is his day off from his commitments with Ferrari.

Lando immediately calls Zak to ask for permission.

"Hey dude" Lando begins when his boss answers the call "I wanted to know if it was a problem if I stayed home tomorrow as well. My relatives asked me a favor and I don't know how to say no" Lando tries to apologize. Carlos is laughing silently next to him and Lando pinches his thigh and orders him to be quiet.

"Of course, don't worry, you can stay until Wednesday as now we have to do the seat for Daniel and work with him these three days" says Zak and Lando thanks him.

They say their goodbye and are about to end the call when Zak says "Ah, and Lando. Say hi to Carlos for me" and ends the call laughing.

Lando turns with wide eyes towards Carlos who is looking at him with the same confused and slightly worried expression.  
"But what? How-" Lando tries to say, but his phone rings with a text notification from Zak.

Lando opens it and, shaking his head, shows the screen to Carlos too. It’s a screenshot of Charles’ Instagram story. There is a hooded figure standing leaning against the wall, the shoes unmistakably the ones that Lando and Carlos bought matching in 2019 and the Ferrari sign above his head, a single sentence added by the Monegasque next to Lando’s head "In the wolf's lair... or should I say Cavallino’s lair?".

“I’m going to kill him” Lando groans and Carlos can do nothing but laugh.  
“Please don’t. I just got you, I don’t want to lose you to prison" he whispers, fisting Lando's shirt - which is a red one with the Scuderia’s logo that Lando borrowed to sleep in - and pulls the smaller one to lie down next to him.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Happy Valentine's Day!" says Carlos smirking and nobody can say anything if, for the second time that morning, Lando hits him with a pillow.

**Author's Note:**

> BIG THANK YOU to [@loveyouhomex](https://loveyouhomex.tumblr.com/)
> 
> I hope you got to the end without shouting at Carlos for being an oblivios muppet like @loveyouomex did but at the same time that was my intent all along so... I hope you liked it!
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr [@oopshiaddict](https://oopshiaddict.tumblr.com/)


End file.
